Los Angeles (LAX) Transit Questions & Tips

[justinbrett]

Horizon Air is part of Alaska. They are a QantasLink like regional subsidiary.

Yes, SkyWest and Horizon both operate E75 services for Alaska.

Horizon is like Qantaslink as they are a subsidiary.

SkyWest is like Alliance as they are an independent airline that operates wet lease services for all the major airlines.

Alaska uses both at LAS, in reality it makes no difference which one you are on.

 

[Vince Alfonzetti]

Horizon Air is part of Alaska. They are a QantasLink like regional subsidiary.

That's more then enough time.
I had a SYD-LAX-PDX trip some years ago. QF into LAX, then Alaska up to PDX.
My bags were checked through (with collect/redrop at LAX), but had to collect boarding pass for LAX-PDX when I got to the AS terminal (I think this was when they were still in T3).
I was early enough that they moved me to an earlier flight, but since my bag had been dropped at the TBIT bag drop, my bag still went on the later flight (I had to go back to PDX from downtown Portland later to collect it).

Thank you very much

Post automatically merged: Apr 21, 2025

Yes, SkyWest and Horizon both operate E75 services for Alaska.

Horizon is like Qantaslink as they are a subsidiary.

SkyWest is like Alliance as they are an independent airline that operates wet lease services for all the major airlines.

Alaska uses both at LAS, in reality it makes no difference which one you are on.

Many thanks for the info...cheers

 

[dacom]

Flying to Vancouver next week with AA and have 3 hour transit in LAX. Does anyone know if the checked luggage is still required to be picked up and re-checked on International transfers.
Now with the new airbridge open, I'm not sure if this is still a requirement. Some say you do, others say you don't. Trying to get more info. Thanks

 

[SYD]

AA just announced they’re trialling no bag collection at LAX for flights from SYD. Not sure if it includes onwards international connections - so best to ask at checkin.

American Airlines Unveils New Baggage Transfer Breakthrough to Simplify Sydney–LAX International Connections - Travel And Tour World

In a bold move to modernize the international travel experience, American Airlines has introduced a groundbreaking baggage transfer initiative designed to ease the often time-consuming process of connecting flights.

www.travelandtourworld.com

 

[dacom]

Thanks for the info. Very helpful. Looks like my flight SYD to LAX with American Airlines is included. That takes a lot of stress out with only 3 hours transit time.

 

[RooFlyer]

That's great info, thanks @SYD . You would think it would include international connections - if its secure enough to arrive at the US, it should be OK to immediately leave again.

Sort of like CBP 'pre clearance' for bags.

 

[Quickstatus]

That takes a lot of stress out with only 3 hours transit time

Not so fast

CBP's website on IRBS

I think the trial IRBS means that CBP reviews the X-ray images done in SYD before the flight ends

I would not assume that your bags will be "pre-cleared". What happens if CBP are not happy with the images?

 

[SYD]

Not so fast

CBP's website on IRBS

I think the trial IRBS means that CBP reviews the X-ray images done in SYD before the flight ends

I would not assume that your bags will be "pre-cleared". What happens if CBP are not happy with the images?

You get bailed up at PP control. That’s the decision point to head to departures or collect bag?

Otherwise, how would anyone know….

That's great info, thanks @SYD . You would think it would include international connections - if its secure enough to arrive at the US, it should be OK to immediately leave again.

Sort of like CBP 'pre clearance' for bags.

Yeah. I don’t remember where I first saw it reported (possibly another thread here), but that link above was the first decent one that Google threw up.

 

[Quickstatus]

Otherwise, how would anyone know…

Don't know. I would imagine that the passenger will be notified at Passport.

However the bigger problem occurs when the passenger is relying on the checked luggage to be pre-cleared because of a tight connection. If informed that luggage needs to be inspected, that tight connection might be missed. I suspect though that this facility is only available to those with onward sectors in a single AA ticket itineraries.

What happens when a traveller has 2 checked luggage and 1 is not precleared?.
Is the precleared luggage sent onwards and the traveller has to pick up the non precleared one - how would the traveller know that one bag is Ok and the other is not. Does Passport tell them?

Also it's a trial. Who knows what % of checked bags are precleared

 

[Warragul]

What happens when a traveller has 2 checked luggage and 1 is not precleared?.

Common sense says keep the bags together, so even if only one bag is of interest they are kept together. Plus something maybe detected in the process of investigating the bag of interest warranting a check of the other.

 

[Quickstatus]

Common sense

Tends not to be common.

 

[SYD]

Also it's a trial. Who knows what % of checked bags are precleared

Pretty cough trial if it weren’t 100%.

If you read the link you posted, they will access the SYD X-Ray images - presumably using some AI tools. So no reason not to review 100% (plus they have ~14 hrs for closer inspection if needed).

The point of the trial would be to test one trusted city pair with one carrier. It would be brilliant if they extend to QF shortly thereafter.

 

[Quickstatus]

If you read the link you posted, they will access the SYD X-Ray images

Exactly, my point is you won't know if you luggage has precleared until you arrive. As there is a risk that luggage might not precleared, don't think it is wise to rely on it and accept a tight connection.

What is the % of checked luggage that is pulled off for secondary inspection at SYD before departure from SYD?. This metric might give some insight into possible % of pre clearance on arrival

Pretty cough trial if it weren’t 100%.

Not really, that the whole point of a trial. Essentially it is to see if CBP agrees with the assessment of security checks at SYD.

 

[Warragul]

Not really, that the whole point of a trial. Essentially to see if CBP agrees with the assessment of security checks at SYD.

Correct and verifying business processes, technology etc work as expected in 'real' scenarios.

 

[SYD]

Correct and verifying business processes, technology etc work as expected in 'real' scenarios.

In the meantime I suspect that close to 100% of PAX on AA flying SYD-LAX probably will transit without needing to touch their bag(s) connecting.

That’s the desired outcome.

Let’s hope that trial is a success because that will take away one serious pain point on those travelling to / transiting the US.

 

[Quickstatus]

Is there an indication how long the trial will run for?

 

[SYD]

Is there an indication how long the trial will run for?

I didn’t notice a specific date. Which probably means they’ll either can it or just progressively extend the “trial” to other airlines and ports.

Let’s hope it’s extended to QF, UA and DL ex SYD soon. Followed by other Oz ports.

 

[ayebee]

Guess this is one step towards the US understanding the concept of international transit.
My experience at LAX has generally been the immigration queues defining viability of connections, rather than collecting and immediately dropping off bags.
Ideally a connection through LAX to YVR should not require an ESTA or passport control to enter the US.

 

[SYD]

Ideally a connection through LAX to YVR should not require an ESTA or passport control to enter the US.

That would require an unlikely radical rethink how the US does separation between International v Domestic departures.

Probably 99% of US airports just don’t have the physical separation. Maybe HNL if they re-jigged things back to when it was a transpac transit hub….

 

[RooFlyer]

UA might have been 'trialling' something like this 10 years ago

Thread 'International transit IAH (Houston) on UA - no collection of checked bags'

May 13, 2015

Just thought I'd report an experience in transiting the US which I found unusual - info may or may not be new, but I hadn't heard it before.

I am flying Buenos Aires - xHouston - Calgary on United. On check-in at EZE, I got both boarding passes and the one IAH-YYC had a lime green 'T' sticker on it. The check-in agent said I did not need to collect bags at Houston, as I was in international transit. I thought this was wrong at the time (in light of experience in transiting to YYC via LAX), but went with the flow.

This is what happened. The Purser-type on the UA flight announced that...

• RooFlyer
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• Forum: Passports, Visas, Immigration & Customs